Too much hides?

[Progrmor]

My baby veiled is 2 months old. She have been with me for a month now. And this is her cage:

The problem im having with her is that she only comes out of the bush when I leave the room for more than a couple of hours! As soon as I enter the room quite and calm she sprints down to her ficus and hides. I can never really take a good look at her.

Do I have to many plants and areas for her to hide? Should I remove the ground-plants and only keep the ones hanging in the roof?

//Prog

 

[camimom]

Honestly, I don't think you have enough.

You need more filler in there, towards the middle and top.

she hides because you scare her.

Also, you should start looking into getting a screen cage.

as that one wont last her for long.

 

[carol5208]

I agree with Camimom. You do not have enough walkways for your chameleon. They like to climb on branches and vines.

 

[Progrmor]

Honestly, I don't think you have enough.

You need more filler in there, towards the middle and top.

she hides because you scare her.

Also, you should start looking into getting a screen cage.

as that one wont last her for long.

Okey.. but is it just me then? My friends veiled (same age) are hanging around in the roof all day while mine is just hiding in the bottom. They got pretty similar cage setup.

And the chams I see on youtube, they have no trouble with getting out of the plants and be visible? Im I one scary human?

EDiT: It is a pretty old pic, got about 4 branches in the roof now, and she got a way to get everywere in the cage through those branches. But no more plants since that pic.

 

[Psychobunny]

I agree with camimom.

Also, they like branches and sticks, like bird perches.

Several branches cut to fit across, then some vines and such around them.

My cages are all screen (recommended) and the branches are attached with
thumbtacks.

They need lots of places to hide and feel secure. And the numerus branches
and vines give them plenty of mobility to move around easy and quick.

Screen cages are lighter, cheaper, easier to maintain, and provide proper
ventilation.

A 18 x 18 x 24 Reptibreeze is what I would use for your cham.

Your cham will take time to realize you are not a preditor.
During this adjustment period, you should leaf him alone, but let him see you
every day. At feeding time, move slowly, and do not make a move to touch him.

My taming blog may be of some interest to you.

 

[camimom]

Okey.. but is it just me then? My friends veiled (same age) are hanging around in the roof all day while mine is just hiding in the bottom. They got pretty similar cage setup.

And the chams I see on youtube, they have no trouble with getting out of the plants and be visible? Im I one scary human?

EDiT: It is a pretty old pic, got about 4 branches in the roof now, and she got a way to get everywere in the cage through those branches. But no more plants since that pic.

What is your basking temp? If shes too hot, she'll go hide.

Some chams need longer to adjust to humans than others. Ive owned a nosey be panther for a year and he still is super shy, it takes me 10-15 minutes to locate him in the foliage.

 

[Progrmor]

What is your basking temp? If shes too hot, she'll go hide.

Some chams need longer to adjust to humans than others. Ive owned a nosey be panther for a year and he still is super shy, it takes me 10-15 minutes to locate him in the foliage.

basking temp is about 85F at highest.

Okey, but I live in sweden so it is fairly hard to get your hands on a screen cage that size.

But I understand. Provide her with more hide, branches and time to settle and get to know me?

 

[camimom]

basking temp is about 85F at highest.

Okey, but I live in sweden so it is fairly hard to get your hands on a screen cage that size.

But I understand. Provide her with more hide, branches and time to settle and get to know me?

might want to try reducing that temp a tiny bit, as she is in a glass cage, which can hold heat more.

also, I don't know if you have it, but amazon sells the cages you would need.

as an adult, she would need the 18-18-36 cage.

OR, you can build her one too.

a lot of us do that.

 

[Progrmor]

might want to try reducing that temp a tiny bit, as she is in a glass cage, which can hold heat more.

also, I don't know if you have it, but amazon sells the cages you would need.

as an adult, she would need the 18-18-36 cage.

OR, you can build her one too.

a lot of us do that.

What material do u recommend when building one myself? How much money will be spent to build it?

 

[camimom]

What material do u recommend when building one myself? How much money will be spent to build it?

I used wood (that I stained then used a polyurethane on it to seal it from water damage) then stapled aluminum screen to it, bugs cant chew through aluminum screening.

as for money, I spent about 70-90 US dollars on it. give or take, depending on what size I was building.

 

[Progrmor]

I used wood (that I stained then used a polyurethane on it to seal it from water damage) then stapled aluminum screen to it, bugs cant chew through aluminum screening.

as for money, I spent about 70-90 US dollars on it. give or take, depending on what size I was building.

OKey! Would u mind show me a pic of your setup so I might get an idea of where to start?

 

[camimom]

 

[Progrmor]

Thanks!!
From what Im seeing, the amount of hides in your cages are located more in the roof, while mine is more like in the lower/middle part of the cage.

If I raise my plants so that it covers more in the top? And I will lower the basking temp.

 

[camimom]

Thanks!!
From what Im seeing, the amount of hides in your cages are located more in the roof, while mine is more like in the lower/middle part of the cage.

If I raise my plants so that it covers more in the top? And I will lower the basking temp.

Correct. Chams are arboreal so they spend more time at the top, not the bottom.

I have plants throughout the cages, but focus on the middle and the top.

This allows them to bask when they need to, and then to move towards the middle if they need to cool down.

 

[Progrmor]

Correct. Chams are arboreal so they spend more time at the top, not the bottom.

I have plants throughout the cages, but focus on the middle and the top.

This allows them to bask when they need to, and then to move towards the middle if they need to cool down.

Thank you! Decoration time!